Why should I study here?

Discover the top reasons to study at University of Kent

Academic excellence: Our academics produce world-leading research and we are leading the way in many fields of study.The University achieved an excellent performance in the most recent Research Assessment Exercise (RAE 2008) which confirmed our position as one of the UK's leading research universities; all our academic schools were found to be engaged in research of international and world-class standing.

Superb Student experience: Kent consistently performs well in student satisfaction surveys, and was ranked in the top 10 in the Times Higher Student Experience Survey 2012. Kent scored 91% for overall satisfaction in the 2012 National Student Survey, placing us 3rd out of all publically funded, multi-faculty universities.

Inspirational teaching - Kent has some of the best teaching staff in the country. For three years running, National Teaching Fellowships have been awarded to Kent academics for their outstanding work. In the most recent NSS, Kent received a rating of 87% for the quality of its teaching.

Enhanced career prospects Kent is committed to enhancing the employability of all its students. Whatever subject you study, you will develop transferable skills and develop capabilities desired by employers. Many courses offer the possibility of a year in industry, this gives students practical experience that can be put to good use in their final year of study.

About

The University of Kent offers academic excellence and a superb student experience. Our students consistently rank us as offering one of the best student experiences in the UK. We achieved an excellent performance in the Research Assessment Exercise (RAE 2008) which confirmed our position as one of the UK's leading research universities.

The University of Kent is a leading research-intensive university in the south-east of England. Known as the UK’s European university, Kent offers many opportunities to study and work abroad. Kent offers academic excellence and a superb student experience.

Kent is a top 20 UK university (Guardian 2014). Students consistently rank Kent as offering one of the best student experiences in the UK. We scored 91% for overall satisfaction in the 2012 National Student Survey, placing us 3rd out of all publically funded, multi-faculty universities.

The University achieved an excellent performance in the most recent Research Assessment Exercise (RAE 2008) which confirmed our position as one of the UK's leading research universities. All our academic schools were found to be engaged in research of international and world-class standing. We have also maintained our Top 30 position in the THE ‘Tables of Tables for the second year running.

Kent offers a wide-range of excellent courses, spanning the sciences, social sciences, arts and humanities. We have campuses in Canterbury and Medway and postgraduate centres in Brussels, Paris, Rome and Athens. We have a cosmopolitan community with students of all ages and nationalities.

Services

Canterbury accommodation

The Canterbury campus houses over 4,300 students in rooms, flats and houses. Postgraduate students are offered self-catering accommodation at Woolf College - a new development offering en suite bedrooms in flats or studios. The University also provides an advice service and accredited list of local housing to ensure peace of mind for students that choose to live off-campus. All accommodation on the University list will have been visited by a staff member from the Accommodation Office and meet minimum safety standards. Most landlords already have experience of letting properties to students, and the scheme has the added advantage of dealing directly with the landlord/owner and avoiding letting agent fees or commission.

Facilities on campus

Campus life centres round five colleges, the Templeman Library, the Students Centre, purpose-built science laboratories and teaching buildings, including the brand new, state-of-the art Jarman Building, which houses the University's School of Arts. There are also plenty of places to eat on campus, including a traditional dining hall, bistros, cafés and sandwich bars, which serve all types of food at reasonable prices. You can also buy snacks and hot drinks from shops and vending machines across the campus. Food and drink There are around a dozen outlets across campus, offering a range of food including:

takeaway food for those in a hurry, including freshly made sandwiches and baguettes

pizzas and paninis.

Snacks and other essentials are also available from vending machines across campus. The Canterbury campus has been awarded Fairtrade status and all our outlets sell Fairtrade tea, coffee and other items. KentOne card When you arrive at Kent, you are given a multifunctional photo ID card, known as the KentOne card. You can also use it as a debit card to buy food, drink and other items in campus outlets. Shops and launderettes There are two shops on campus, selling grocery and household items, together with a bookshop and a pharmacy.

There are launderettes located in residential areas across campus. Support and services There are approximately 11,000 students at the Canterbury campus, including undergraduates and postgraduates, plus lecturers, research staff, members of the local community and overseas students on a year abroad. All students have access to our first-class facilities and the wide range of services and support provided by the University and Kent Union. Templeman Library The Templeman Library, at the centre of the Canterbury campus, provides a wealth of resources and services to support your studies throughout your time at the University. With printed books and journals, multimedia items, and subscriptions to a wide range of electronic resources, the Library's collections are specifically aimed at supporting the courses and subject areas taught at Kent. What the library offers

Long opening hours throughout the year to ensure the Library's services are available at times that are convenient for you.

An open-access Core Text Collection holding course reading material.

A café with lounge area for more relaxed study, as well as discussion and study areas (many equipped with student PCs). Students can also borrow wireless-enabled laptops for use within the Library.

Wireless access throughout the building for laptops and compatible mobile devices.

An extensive range of electronic resources that have been purchased by the library for the exclusive use of Kent students and staff. These include full text e-journals, e-books, newspaper archives, databases and reference works, which are accessible to you at any time, from wherever you are.

A powerful online Library catalogue to help you find the items you need and discover other useful resources.

A range of self-service options to make it easy for you to borrow, recall and renew items, and to request material from other libraries.

Collections and archives of rare, historic and specialised material relevant to a wide range of subject areas.

Specialist subject advice and training in library and information skills.

IT and library support staff throughout the Library, who are happy to help, in person, by telephone or via email.

IT services

Whether you want to produce coursework, collaborate online, conduct research, or improve your IT skills, IT Services are here to support you. We also constantly explore new communication technologies to help you keep in touch with family and friends. What IT Services offers you can use your PC to watch digital TV from your bedroom, or make free/cheap calls home over the web.

Over a thousand PCs for students use across the Canterbury campus, in the Templeman Library, colleges, academic schools and other locations. You can also borrow a laptop for use within the Library.

A wide range of software on student PCs, including Microsoft Office, and specialist and course-specific programs.

Self-service printing in colour or black and white.

Your own Kent email account, which will remain available to you even after you graduate.

An online student portal with personalised timetables, modules and course information, news, plus other information and services that are relevant to you.

Wireless access to the internet and the Kent network across the campus.

Access to the internet and Kent network (using your own PC) from student bedrooms on campus.

Remote access to files and resources on the Kent network, allowing you to work from home or on the move.

Help and support for using Kent IT facilities, in person, by phone, email or via an online chat service. Self-help user guides are also available.

Training IT training workshops and online learning materials are available to help you choose the learning style and times that best suits your needs. They cover subjects such as:

using Microsoft packages including Word or PowerPoint

using the web for research purposes.

Learning support

The Student Learning Advisory Service (SLAS) is a free, friendly advice service providing guidance and information on all aspects of effective learning and study skills to all students from the minute they arrive at the University until they finish their studies. SLAS is part of the Unit for the Enhancement of Learning and Teaching and is a popular resource for undergraduates, postgraduates, full-time, part-time, mature, European and international students.

Medical centre

University Medical Centre The Medical Centre is a specialist GP practice on the Canterbury campus, providing care tailored to meet all the health needs of students at the University. All services are completely confidential. The University Nursing Service (in Keynes College) provides nursing care for in-patients, a minor casualty service, and support and advice to students seven days a week during term-time. There is also a pharmacy next door to the Medical Centre. We strongly advise you to register with a doctors surgery close to your term-time accommodation. By registering under the NHS system you qualify for treatment here and in many reciprocating countries abroad. You should also register with a local NHS dentist. Disability and Dyslexia

Our core services include:

support for students with specific learning difficulties including dyslexia and dyspraxia

support for students with physical or sensory impairments and medical conditions

help with applications for the Disabled Students Allowance.

We have a team of tutors who can provide individual specialist tuition and support assistants who can help with note-taking and other learning support requirements.

We recommend that if you have a specific learning difficulty and/or disability you apply for the Disabled Students Allowance as soon as you make your UCAS choices.

We encourage all students who have a disability or specific learning difficulty to contact us before starting at the University, to discuss their support needs.

Nursery

The Oaks Day Nursery on the Canterbury campus has been established for over 30 years. The Nursery has been run by Kent Union since November 2007 and provides a warm, caring and stimulating environment where children can develop and grow to their full potential. Children are cared for in four rooms that cater for different ages and abilities; there is also a large outdoor play area.

The Oaks Day Nursery is committed to providing equality of opportunity for all children and families, and discrimination on the grounds of sex, race, age, religion, colour, marital status, ethnicity or political belief, is not tolerated in this setting.

The Chaplaincy

The Chaplaincy team is both ecumenical and multi-faith. We have two full-time chaplains (Anglican and Catholic) and several part-time members who serve all the main Christian denominations as well as the Buddhist, Islamic and Jewish faith communities at Kent.

We lead worship on the Canterbury campus on Sundays and run a number of weekday services, and students have plenty of opportunities to learn more about their own faith-traditions.

There is an attractive small chapel in Eliot College on the Canterbury campus that is regularly used for worship and is open to everybody for quiet prayer and meditation. There is also a mosque in Giles Lane on the edge of campus.

Counselling Service

Going away to university is an important time of transition and personal development. There may be a period when you begin to feel that you would benefit from some professional counselling. The goal of counselling is to empower, encourage and support you to help yourself. Evidence tells us that the vast majority of students who have been for counselling find it a valuable experience.

The University Counselling Service, based on the Canterbury campus, is open all year round for all students. We offer a confidential service and invite you to book an initial half-hour assessment which gives you the opportunity to explore what you most want to achieve from counselling before you decide to take it further. In addition to individual counselling sessions, we run workshops and courses on: councelling skills; mindfulness; assertiveness training; mental wealth and well-being; relaxation; graduation and beyond; boosting confidence; and other topics according to demand. Some of these may be run in conjunction with indoor labyrinth walks held in the Senate Chamber once a month. You can also visit our website for useful links and information on a wide range of topics related to good health and well-being.

Equality and diversity

The University is committed to creating and supporting a balanced, inclusive and diverse community which is open and accessible to all students. We do not tolerate discrimination, harassment or bullying of any groups or individuals, and we provide comprehensive student guidelines that outline ways of ensuring fair and consistent behaviour.

Security

Kent is one of the safest places in which to study but we do recognise that some students may feel vulnerable, particularly at night. Our trained, in-house security officers are on duty 24 hours per day and regularly patrol the campus on foot, on bicycles and in marked vehicles, and CCTV cameras are also monitored in Campus Watch. We offer a service to accompany anyone who feels vulnerable across campus and we also offer free personal attack alarms. Some accommodation areas have their own night security officer; where this is the case, the security officers are also the building officers.

Students' union

Kent Union, the Students Union at Kent, is run by the students, for the students. It provides a wide variety of facilities, represents students interests at the University and in the wider community, and offers help, support and advice when needed.

Facilities and entertainment

The Venue and The Attic, run by Kent Union are student-only venues located in the centre of campus and play host to a variety of entertainment to suit every genre of music. Recently refurbished, The Venue is open four nights a week, offering two floors of state-of-the-art design, sound and lighting where lots of different club nights are held, from commercial to cheese, dance to disco and a variety of theme nights. It has played host to a huge range of live acts, including Zane Lowe, Ministry of Sound, Florence and the Machine, Pendulum, Coolio, Reggie Yates, S Club and the stars of The X Factor. The Venue has won a number of awards for its efforts in maintaining a safe environment and looking after the welfare of its customers, including the 2009 Best Bar None award.

The Attic, which opened in 2010, is the place for live entertainment including local, student bands and mainstream bands, DJs and musicians. Open six nights a week, it hosts the more niche entertainment nights such as Jazz, Comedy, Trance, Dubstep and Drum n Base so there will be something on offer for you to enjoy every week!

Kent Union also runs Woodys, a traditional pub serving tasty homemade food in the heart of Park Wood, Rutherford Bar, a stylish bar that serves homemade pizzas, panninis and ice cream, and the Library Café serving coffee and snacks. Shops on campus run by Kent Union include Essentials, one of the biggest students union shops in the UK, and Park Wood Essentials, where you can find everything from food to health and beauty items. It also runs Extras, an off-licence with a large selection of stationery. Recently, Kent Union opened UNIque, selling University of Kent clothing and memorabilia.

Getting involved

As a student at Kent, you can get involved in all sorts of activities. All academic courses have student representatives who contribute to the way their subjects are run, and most locations (such as the colleges) have student committees that represent students views and organise social activities. Other ways of getting involved include becoming a member of Union Council (Kent Unions governing body) and standing for part-time officer positions within the Students Union itself.

Clubs and societies

Kent Union currently has about 100 different societies and 40 different sports clubs.

A good way of following a current interest or taking up a new one is to join one of the many clubs and societies run by Kent Union.

Societies at Canterbury reflect the wide spectrum of student interests; music, dance, current affairs, photography, film, chess, paintball and science are just a few examples of what is on offer. Different faiths and nationalities are also well represented along with subject-related societies. If you have an interest that is not represented, you can also start your own society with help from Kent Union.

Volunteering

Kent Union offers you the opportunity to enhance your CV and gain work experience by getting involved with volunteering. This can be anything from tutoring, working with the elderly, conservation activities or stewarding at concerts. Kent Union can arrange local placements that fit in with your studies.

Support

Kent Union has qualified staff who provide advice and support on issues that could affect you while you are a student, such as finance, housing issues, course problems and health matters. If we can't help you ourselves, we can point you in the direction of where you can find further assistance.

Kent Buddy Scheme

The Kent Buddy Scheme introduces applicants with an offer from Kent to students who are curerntly at the University. Future Kent students are able to get a sense of life at Kent from those who are currently enjoying the Kent experience, and be assured of a friendly face to meet them when they arrive.

Jobshop

Kent Union also run Jobshop@kent, which can help you find part-time or temporary work whilst studying at the University.

Student life

The City of Canterbury and the region

Canterbury is a small city with a warm and friendly atmosphere which has been permanently inhabited since pre-Roman times. Augustine established his first cathedral and abbey around AD 600, and in medieval times the city became a centre for pilgrimage to the shrine of St Thomas Becket, made famous by Chaucers The Canterbury Tales. The playwright Christopher Marlowe was born here, and the Treaty of Canterbury paved the way for the building of the Channel Tunnel. The citys medieval history is easy to see in its streets, buildings and, of course, the world-famous cathedral, which is the venue for the Universitys graduation ceremonies. The Cathedral, St Augustines Abbey and St Martins Church make up a World Heritage Site one of only 15 such sites in the British Isles. There is a thriving cosmopolitan atmosphere, and the streets are packed with small shops, bookshops, large stores and over 80 restaurants, bars and pubs. The city also includes the Marlowe Theatre, art galleries, a cinema, nightclubs, leisure centres, swimming pools and the St Lawrence County Cricket Ground. Canterbury is well placed for access to famous locations such as Leeds Castle, Rochester with its Dickens connections and castles at Dover, Walmer, Deal and Richborough. The county of Kent is known as the Garden of England, with many classic villages, walking/cycling trails, orchards and vineyards. East Kent has 120 miles of coastline: the nearest seaside town to Canterbury is Whitstable, which is good for all kinds of water sports. Many students choose to live in the local towns of Whitstable, Herne Bay and Faversham, which are on bus routes to Canterbury and also have direct rail links to London. Canterbury is only 56 miles from London on the M2/A2. High-speed trains run regularly between Canterbury West and London St Pancras and take less than an hour. The Channel ports are less than 20 miles away, and it is only 30 minutes drive to the Channel Tunnel at Folkestone or the Eurostar terminal at Ashford International, from where you can be in Paris in approximately two hours and Brussels in 90 minutes. Ebbsfleet International station, with Eurostar links to Paris, Lille and Brussels, is approximately 45 minutes from Canterbury.

Historic city

The citys medieval history is easy to see in its streets and buildings and in the world-famous cathedral, which is the venue for the Universitys degree ceremonies. The Cathedral, St Augustines Abbey and St Martins church make up a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Abbey marked the rebirth of Christianity in southern England and the church, the oldest parish church in England, is still used for worship.

Cosmopolitan environment

Canterbury has a thriving cosmopolitan atmosphere as befits Britains closest city to continental Europe. There has been significant investment in recent years; the new multi-million-pound Whitefriars development has transformed a substantial part of the city centre and is a fantastic shopping location where you can find all the major high street names. The city has a unique charm, with past and present sitting comfortably together and there are plenty of specialist shops, as well as many restaurants, pubs and bars.

Cultural centre

Canterbury is a cultural city with a strong focus on the arts. There are a number of galleries and the annual Canterbury Festival attracts thousands of visitors from across the UK and Europe. The city is also home to the Marlowe Theatre, which hosts national touring productions of West End shows and attracts top artists from the worlds of dance, music, comedy, drama, ballet and opera. The theatre is undergoing a massive redevelopment and will open in September 2011 as the New Marlowe, which will firmly position Canterbury as the place to enjoy a superb theatrical experience.

Night life

Canterbury has lots to offer in terms of great nightlife. The venue, Chill, is a five-star club with booths available for hire, celebrity guests/DJs and a unique mix of events including a weekly student night. Club Chemistry, near Canterbury East station is a popular student haunt and features the very best in old-school classics and party, commercial R&B/Hip Hop and dance. Club Chemistry hosts two student nights a week and offers plenty of promotional deals. Studio 41 is another favourite, with its Girls and Boys night on Saturdays, unmissable theme nights and regular guest appearances. There are also plenty of traditional pubs and bars, including The Farmhouse, which has live music nights and DJ sets. Canterbury also hosts its own summer festival, Lounge on the Farm, which is rapidly becoming one of the must do events of the year and has featured major artists such as the Super Furry Animals, The Coral, Roots Manuva, Beardyman, Courtney Pine, and Martha Reeves and the Vandellas plus DJ sets by Kevin Rowland and Terry Hall.

Transport links

You can easily do a day trip to either London or Paris from Canterbury. It is only 56 miles from London on the M2/A2 and high-speed trains run regularly between Canterbury West and London St Pancras and take under an hour. Regular trains also run to and from London Victoria, Charing Cross, Waterloo East and London Bridge - journey time is approximately 90 minutes. You can also take the Eurostar from Ashford or Ebbsfleet to arrive in Paris or Brussels in less than two hours. The Channel ports are less than 20 miles away, and it is only 30 minutes drive to the Channel Tunnel at Folkestone.

The region

Canterbury is situated in Kent, known as the Garden of England, and offers you the opportunity to live and study in one of the most picturesque areas of the country. East Kent has 120 miles of coastline, and a number of its beaches have been awarded the prestigious Blue Flag for their environmental management, safety, and water quality. The nearest coastal town to Canterbury is Whitstable, where you can get involved in many water sports including windsurfing, yachting and water-skiing, as well as sampling its famous array of seafood. Kent is also renowned for its historical past and Canterbury is just a short distance from a number of castles and forts. During their second and third years, many students choose to live in the local towns of Whitstable, Herne Bay and Faversham, which are on bus routes to Canterbury and have direct rail links to London.